❓ Ms Mettam questions the Minister for Health regarding the discrepancy between the South Metropolitan Health Service publishing ED bed numbers and the Minister's refusal to do so. The Minister responds by highlighting broader strategies to improve ED access and capacity beyond just bed numbers.
AnsweredQoN 278Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Hospital beds—Emergency departments
278. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the
minister's answer to question on notice 40 in which she stated that emergency
departments do not have a stated bed capacity and noted a job advertisement by the
South Metropolitan Health Service stating that Fiona Stanley Hospital's
emergency department has 85 beds.
If the south metro
health service can publish how many ED beds it has, why can the minister not do
that?
278. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the
minister's answer to question on notice 40 in which she stated that emergency
departments do not have a stated bed capacity and noted a job advertisement by the
South Metropolitan Health Service stating that Fiona Stanley Hospital's
emergency department has 85 beds.
If the south metro
health service can publish how many ED beds it has, why can the minister not do
that?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. As she knows, we are spending a lot of time on making sure we
create appropriate access for the people of Western Australia in emergency
departments and on making sure that the EDs have the capacity to do the work
they need to do. When it comes to emergency departments, we are doing a range
of things. As I have said in this place before, beds are important, but they
are not the only thing. We are looking at different
ways that we can make sure people can access care and that we can deliver the
care they need. The reality is that emergency departments deal with a range
of different circumstances and the number of beds they need changes from time
to time. We need to be able to adjust the stated capacity as well as manage a surge
when it happens.
One of the things I
have enjoyed seeing as the Minister for Health as I have gone around the place is
some of the ways people are ensuring that we are freeing up capacity in our emergency
departments, such as using things like transit lounges to ensure that people
who are well enough to receive treatment but who do not need a bed can access
the care they need without taking up a traditional bed in an emergency
department. That is one of the things that many health services are putting in
place and one of the ways we are looking at all the ways we can increase our
capacity in the health system to make sure we are creating the opportunities,
capacity and access that people need to get the care that they require.
for the question. As she knows, we are spending a lot of time on making sure we
create appropriate access for the people of Western Australia in emergency
departments and on making sure that the EDs have the capacity to do the work
they need to do. When it comes to emergency departments, we are doing a range
of things. As I have said in this place before, beds are important, but they
are not the only thing. We are looking at different
ways that we can make sure people can access care and that we can deliver the
care they need. The reality is that emergency departments deal with a range
of different circumstances and the number of beds they need changes from time
to time. We need to be able to adjust the stated capacity as well as manage a surge
when it happens.
One of the things I
have enjoyed seeing as the Minister for Health as I have gone around the place is
some of the ways people are ensuring that we are freeing up capacity in our emergency
departments, such as using things like transit lounges to ensure that people
who are well enough to receive treatment but who do not need a bed can access
the care they need without taking up a traditional bed in an emergency
department. That is one of the things that many health services are putting in
place and one of the ways we are looking at all the ways we can increase our
capacity in the health system to make sure we are creating the opportunities,
capacity and access that people need to get the care that they require.
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